System Network, Data Insight & Integration for Hospitality

Posted July 26, 2024

1. Key Systems for Hospitality Businesses:

Most hospitality businesses are faced with choices when it comes to choosing the right systems for them, and each system/tool comes with a subscription cost. With increased applications of AI solutions and data driven insights, data accuracy must become the key focus to increase operational efficiency.

The basics of hospitality can be simplified as: how many items can you produce in a defined period, and at what cost. Regardless of if you are a well-established investor, multi-venue owner/operator, small café/pub/restaurant, franchise owner, food truck, or someone looking at starting your hospitality business, streamlining data throughout your systems network should become your next priority.

Systems Integration is consequently key to leverage Operational Efficiency at three levels:

• Produce more, more efficiently: increase current staffing resources and capacity, with reducing admin time and workload which do not generate value nor customer satisfaction.
• Access to real-time actionable data: manage costs, margins and staffing, knowing in real time what you need. Work on what is happening now and will happen tomorrow, rather than using outdated data to take future decisions.
• Leverage your customer data: understand their behaviours and increase customer satisfaction. Create campaigns for your customers, and generate repeat clients.

Below is how you should look at your systems. Each connection has integration potential:

No matter how good every single system is individually, if your systems do not integrate you will only find limited benefits of using the most advanced tools.

2.   Tips:

• Review your system network using the chart above: tick or cross integrations relevant to your business.
• Choose a Core System: POS, BI or Stock & Inventory Management (for most). Note: Different business models may have different approaches, depending on their vision.
• Redefine business goals and vision: in the mid and long term.
• Review non-integrated tools: to your chosen Core System.
• Look for integrated alternatives: investigate Core System’s integrated partners, research all existing features of current integrated systems, and try to reduce the number of tools. At this point, some alternatives may seem less performant – remember to think system network, not individual system.
• Define key functions: Which stakeholder will be using which system, for what purpose.
• Streamline processes: identify gaps and optimise operational processes with reducing interactions with tools. Integration will allow systems to communicate; however, each stakeholder needs and uses different information. Reduce confusion with defining one or two systems each stakeholder will use. Example: FOH staff will only interact with POS and Staff Management. Business owners will primarily use accounting/financesystem and BI, etc.
• Continuously review and assess: Each system/tool MUST provide the company with either increased profitability, or customer satisfaction. If a system or a tool do not meet these requirements, eliminate.
• Keep up to date with the latest developments launched by your current systems providers: some new companies/startup may come on the market with new exciting product. Go back to your current providers, they may also be working on these features.

At befficienz, we specialise in helping hospitality businesses navigate the complexity of system networks, data insights, integration and more. From selecting the right systems to implementing automation solutions, our expert consultants are here to guide you every step of the way. Contact us today to learn how we can help your restaurant, bar, or café embrace the digital revolution and achieve new heights of success.